The Spitfire Grill Begins 7/9 At Stage West In Fort Worth

Welcome to Gilead, a picturesque (and fictional) small town in western Wisconsin, where everyone knows your name, and the fall colors along Copper Creek are dazzling. At least, that's how it seemed to Percy Talbott in the picture she found in a travel book. Reality turns out to be somewhat different, of course, as Stage West presents its first musical since moving back to its Vickery playhouse, James Valcq and Fred Alley's engaging and warm-hearted The Spitfire Grill, based on the film by Lee David Zlotoff, beginning Thursday, July 9.

Percy is a young parolee, freshly released from prison. She's expecting a new beginning in a welcoming place, but instead she finds suspicion, and a town fallen on hard times. She manages to get lodging and work at the town restaurant, The Spitfire Grill, working for Hannah Ferguson, a no-nonsense woman who is willing to give Percy a chance. But the local gossip, Effy, is not so open-minded, and she's quick to embellish on what little she knows of Percy to all who will listen. And then an injury to Hannah leaves Percy in charge of the grill, and she has to find help from an unexpected source. It's an uphill battle, but Percy's resilience and determination begin to win the town over, and both she and the townspeople find some hope for a brighter future.

The story is interwoven with a batch of infectious, country/folk-tinged songs, of which Billboard Magazine said, they "fit like a favorite flannel shirt." New York Magazine's John Simon said, "The amiable country-flavored tunes and lyrics are transcendent. It is not often that material moves me to tears, but this was one of those occasions... What even in normal times would be a joy is, in these troubled ones, sheer nourishment." It has become one of the most produced plays in the nation, and director Jerry Russell feels that with its wonderful music and uplifting story, it will be the perfect summer fare for virtually all audiences.
The Spitfire Grill was adapted by James Valcq and Fred Alley from the 1996 film by Lee David Zlotoff. Valcq and Alley both grew up in Wisconsin, Valcq in big-city Milwaukee and Alley in rural Mount Horeb. Both were drawn to music and theatre at a young age. During the summer of 1980, while Valcq was attending a summer music camp in Madison and Alley had dropped in to visit a friend at the same camp, the sixteen-year-olds met and became friends almost immediately.

Valcq's musical background consisted of early training and performance. By age seven he had appeared at the Skylight Opera Theatre in Milwaukee. He later went on to earn a bachelor's degree in music and theatre from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, as well as a master's in musical theatre composition from New York University. Alley had a background in folk music and theatre. As an adult, he joined a folk singing group called the Heritage Ensemble, later renamed the American Folklore Theatre (AFT). The two men's collaboration began following a trip to New York City with AFT, where they were inspired by their visit to Ellis Island to write their first show together, The Passage; Alley wrote the lyrics and book while Valcq composed the music. Several years passed before Valcq and Alley found another project to collaborate on. They eventually decided to adapt The Spitfire Grill, a 1996 independent film written and directed by Lee David Zlotoff. It premiered in 2000, and was awarded the prestigious Academy of Arts and Letters 2001 Richard Rogers Award for New American Musicals. The production went on to be selected as one of the five best musicals of 2001 by New York Magazine, and won award nominations by Drama Desk, Drama-League, and the New York Outer Critics Circle. Fred Alley died suddenly of a massive heart attack in Door County, Wisconsin, before the show opened in New York. James Valcq now lives in New York City.

Jerry Russell will direct The Spitfire Grill, with musical direction by Aaron Albin, a faculty member at LoneStar Music Academy. The exceptionally strong cast features familiar faces Pam Dougherty and Melinda Wood Allen (who appeared together in another Stage West musical hit, Cowgirls) as Hannah and Effy respectively, Paul T. Taylor, recently seen in the Contemporary Theatre of Dallas production of Closer Than Ever, as Hannah's nephew Caleb, and Linus Craig, most recently seen in Stage West's The Code of the Woosters, as a mysterious stranger. Starring as Percy is a new face to Stage West, Shelbie Mac, whose recent credits include the Lyric Stage production of Carousel and A Musical Cabaret for The Triad (Circle in the Square) in New York. Rounding out The cast are Christopher J. Deaton, whose credits include Les Miserables for Houston's Theatre Under the Stars, as the young Sheriff Joe, and Mary Gilbreath Grim, who also appeared in Contemporary's Closer Than Ever, as the shy Shelby.

The set will be designed by Technical Director Jason Domm, with costumes by Jim Covault and Peggy Kruger-O'Brien. Lighting will be provided by resident lighting designer Michael O'Brien, while Lynn Lovett will handle props and set decor.
Estimated run time for the play: about 2 hours plus intermission. The play is suitable for all ages, though it may not hold the interest of younger children.
The Spitfire Grill will preview Thursday, July 9 at 7:30 and Friday, July 10 at 8:00. Performance times will be Thursday evenings at 7:30, Friday and Saturday evenings at 8:00, with Sunday matinees at 3:00. The opening night reception will be Saturday, July 11. Ticket prices range from $26 to $29.50, with discounts for students and seniors. Preview tickets are priced at only $18. Pay What You Can performances will be Sunday, July 12 and Thursday, July 16. Food service is available 90 minutes prior to performances (reservations strongly advised), and information is available through the Box Office, or on the website, www.stagewest.org.

Photo is by Buddy Myers
Photo: Pam Dougherty, Shelbie Mac, and Mary Gilbreath Grim

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